Alphabet of tales : an English 15th century translation of the Alphabetum narrationum of Etienne de Besançon, from Additional MS. 25,719 of the British Museum / by Etienne de Besançon

DCL.
Promissio. Promissum debet solui.

Petrus Alphonsis [MS. Alphensis, as elsewhere, for Alphonsus.] tellis how som̛ tyme þer was a knygh[t], and hym̛ happend on̛ a tyme to lose a sakett and a thowsand̛ talentis þerin and a serpent of gold̛; and a pure man̛ happend to fynd̛ itt. And he garte cry it in þe markett, & promysid̛ in his cry þat he þatt had fon̛ itt sulde hafe for þe fyndyng þerof a hondretℏ of þe talentis with gude wiƚƚ. So þis pure man̛ at fand it þoght hym̛ had levur hafe les with-owten̛ syn̛ þan̛ more

with syn̛, þuf aƚƚ his wyfe agayn̛-said̛ it, [&] gaff agayn̛ þis sakett vnto þe knyght & askid̛ þerof a hondretℏ talentis as he promysid̛ in his cry. Bod þe riche man̛, when̛ he had þe sakett agayn̛, wolde not pay þe salfay, and he said̛ þer was ij serpentis of gold̛ in þe sakett, & at þe pure man̛ had with-drawen̛ þe tone of þaim̛. And þe pure man̛ said̛ nay; so he complenyd̛ of þis pure man̛ & þai war bothe broght afor̛ þe knyg. And evur-ilk man̛ held̛ with þe riche man̛, & none with þe pure man̛. So þer was a philosophyr & he had grete petie of þis pure man̛, and sayd̛ vnto þe kyng in þis maner of wyse; "Sur kyng! It is mekuƚƚ to trow vnto þis riche man̛, for he wold̛ not say at he loste ij serpentis of gold̛ bod if he did so. And on̛ þe toder partie, þis pure man̛ at fand þis gude, and he had not bene a gude man̛ and a trew, he mot hafe holden̛ aƚƚ þis gude privalie, & nevur giffen̛ it agayn̛. And þerfor̛ caƚƚ þe riche man̛ & say vnto hym̛ in þis maner of wyse; 'This sakett and þis gold̛ is not þine, for þou says þou lost ij serpentynys & here-in is bod one,' & kepe þis styƚƚ in your handis & gar cry agayn̛ in þe markett a sakett with ij serpentynys þerin." And when̛ þis riche man̛ hard̛ þis, at he sulde be þus betyn̛ with his awn̛ staff, he grawntyd̛ vnto þe kyng at he said̛ þer was ij serpentynys in þe sackett when̛ þer was bod one, becauce he wold̛ nott hafe gyffen̛ þe pure man̛ a hondretℏ talentis to safye, as he promysid̛ he sulde do. And when̛ þe kyng hard̛ þis, he made þe riche man̛ to pay vnto þis pure man̛ þis hundretℏ talenttis, as he promysid̛ he sulde doo.

• ...Promittunt multi multa que non soluunt. Supra de amicicia MS. amicisia. .
• ...Promocio MS. promosio. . Promocionem in temporalibus impedit aliquando auaricia. Supra de auaricia, iij MS. ij. .